Andrew Dice Clay
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
The stage act of this stand-up comedian-turned-actor reaped controversy for being over-laden with obscenities and was considered to be misogynistic by feminists and most thinking people. Andrew Dice Clay nevertheless found the shtick to propel him to stardom after years of performing in small clubs with an appeal to the urban/suburban teenaged white boys, confused about their roles as men in the changing times. Clay, decked in a leather jacket with a dangling cigarette, spoke in Brooklyn slang and used so many nasty words and disgusting references that he was banned from MTV after an appearance on "The 1989 MTV Video Awards." The controversy continued the following year when Clay's booking as the guest host on the final show of the season of "Saturday Night Live" caused cast member Nora Dunn to boycott the show in protest of his remarks about women. Dunn never returned to the cast, but Clay's gig was pretty much up as well. He disappeared for several years, failing to become a TV sitcom star with a cleaned-up act in the mid-1990s, and eventually settled into a lower-profile career as a character actor, garnering acclaim for his roles in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" (2013) and the Martin Scorsese-backed cable drama "Vinyl" (HBO 2016).
Born Andrew Clay Silverstein in Brooklyn, he was still a teen when he began performing in comedy clubs in the 70s. By 1980, he had migrated to Los Angeles where he frequently performed at The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip, but failed to be "discovered." Clay played bit parts in the features like "Wacko" (1983) and "Making the Grade" (1984) and could be seen as a bouncer in "Pretty in Pink" (1986). He also played a mobster named Max Goldman in numerous episodes of "Crime Story" on NBC during the 1986-1987 season. But his stage act slowly began to build a following when he developed the 'Dice' persona. In 1988, he appeared on an HBO Rodney Dangerfield comedy special, then headlined his own HBO special, "Andrew 'Dice' Clay: The Diceman Cometh." Clay was hot, and the controversy was only helping to pack 'em in. When the backlash hit in 1989-90, it was somewhat unexpected.
When his first starring role in a feature, "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" (1990), did not sell tickets, the luster was fading. Clay had two best-selling albums, "Dice" (1989) and "The Day the Laughter Died" (1990), but by 1991, after the release of "Dice," a concert film, the establishment had little interest in him. He tried to mend fences with "Andrew Dice Clay: For Ladies Only," a 1992 HBO special, but to little avail. The 1993 feature "Brain Smasher...A Love Story" was a failed attempt to turn Clay into an action hero. For much of the next two years, he virtually disappeared, returning in 1995 in the TV-movie "No Contest" (HBO). Clay, now billed as Andrew Clay, attempted to remake his image, dropping much of the 'Dice' persona by co-starring with Cathy Moriarty in the CBS sitcom "Bless This House" (1995-96), loosely inspired by the far superior "The Honeymooners." While Clay was still tainted, and the result failed to win in the ratings war, there was a glimmer that the Diceman changeth. He resumed his stage act, still cocky and self-confident, still foul-mouthed, but leaving the subject of women alone. He returned to series TV as a surly record company executive in the UPN sitcom "Hitz" (1997), and appeared in several low-budget action flicks and comedies over the next several years, but his focus remained on his stand-up career.
After a recurring role as a version of himself on the bro-centric series "Entourage" (HBO 2004-2011) brought him to a newer audience, Clay shocked many of his biggest critics with a nuanced supporting performance in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" (2013). This was followed by his first major television role in two decades, as record company executive Frank Rogers in the '70s-set drama "Vinyl" (HBO 2016), executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Life Events
1980
Regular comic at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California
1983
Made film debut in "Wacko"
1988
Had own HBO special, "The Diceman Cometh"
1989
Banned from MTV after his performance on the "MTV Video Music Awards"
1989
Released album "Dice"; certified gold
1990
Hosted "Saturday Night Live" (NBC), regular cast member Nora Dunn boycotted the show
1990
Had first starring film role, "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane"
1991
Wrote and performed in concert film "Dice Rules"
1995
TV-movie debut, "No Contest" (HBO)
1997
Returned to series TV as star of the UPN sitcom "Hitz"
Family
Companions
